During the operation of concrete mixer trucks, delivery is one of the more challenging and complicated activities. In most situations, drivers are required to navigate challenging terrain in order to gain access to construction sites. Then, to most efficiently deliver concrete to the location desired by the contractors, the operator must maneuver or position the truck so the discharge chute is at a desirable location. For rear discharge cement trucks, this involves backing the truck to the desired location. Often, other construction workers are working in the area, thus the driver must continuously monitor their surroundings or have others insure the area is clear.
Once the truck is in position, a multi-piece delivery must then be deployed and positioned. In many embodiments, the delivery chute is comprised of several segments, each being removable and stored on a transport rack on the side or rear area of the truck. When necessary to extend the reach of the chute, the operator will add segments one-by-one. As is well recognized, this involves the physical manipulation of several chute segments, and requires an operator to carry/manipulate these segments by hand. As will also be appreciated, these chute segments can be heavy and cumbersome, making the deployment process somewhat challenging. Although every effort is made to make the chute segments “user friendly,” this operation clearly involves the physical handling of components and creates an inherent risk of injury.
In certain instances, power mechanisms have been utilized to position the discharge chute as desired. That said, this step has historically involved the manipulation of only two segments, since only limited amounts of space exist at the rear of the truck. During transport/driving, these two segments are folded so that one segment is stacked on top of the other. Although folding chutes certainly would be convenient, the space at the back end of the truck required to hold all of these components must be kept to a minimum in order to create a safe and efficient configuration for over-the-road transport. Unfortunately, a mechanism has not yet been developed which allows the chute segments of a delivery chute to be compactly folded and retained in a folded configuration.